I admire the charity, but is sickle cell anemia even a condition that CAN be cured? It’s a mutation that alters your hemoglobin so malaria bacteria can’t reproduce in your blood cells, but gives you a 25% chance of making your blood cells sickle shaped if both of your parents carried that gene. I suppose we could come up with treatments for it, but the only truly effective cure would be to screen parents for the gene and make sure they don’t both pass the gene on, like with IVF or something (of course that’s dangerously close to selective breeding/eugenics.)
Eugenics is when you decide that some traits are special and other traits are not like eye color or skin color. Getting rid of an adaption to a dangerous infection is more complicated than that. And I would think the spreading of that mutation as malaria will spread further as the Earth warms may be called for helping people survive in infested areas, not in its removal.
David Huie Green LoveJoyAndPeace over 5 years ago
FAR BETTER TO BE FAMOUS THAN INFAMOUS.
(I hadn’t noticed it was on caps, so I’m leaving it that way.)
Olddog1 over 5 years ago
Soon be associated with a CURE. We can hope.
Aladar30 Premium Member over 5 years ago
This is so sweet… I almost cry.
jagedlo over 5 years ago
wait….did Robb put in a plug for his book on the 4th panel? And in small print, so one might miss it if they’re not really looking?
Kilrwat Premium Member over 5 years ago
I was seriously hoping that this was a real thing…
jtburgess Premium Member over 5 years ago
Is this the real research center he’s alluding to?https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/sickle-cell-center/research
yangeldf over 5 years ago
I admire the charity, but is sickle cell anemia even a condition that CAN be cured? It’s a mutation that alters your hemoglobin so malaria bacteria can’t reproduce in your blood cells, but gives you a 25% chance of making your blood cells sickle shaped if both of your parents carried that gene. I suppose we could come up with treatments for it, but the only truly effective cure would be to screen parents for the gene and make sure they don’t both pass the gene on, like with IVF or something (of course that’s dangerously close to selective breeding/eugenics.)
jmworacle over 5 years ago
Time to whup Sickle Cell Anemia’s gluteous Maximus!
Jim Kerner over 5 years ago
Mom must be proud as a peacock!
tcar-1 over 5 years ago
Robb…. you are a unique and special man. Thank you for sharing with all of us.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 5 years ago
Eugenics is when you decide that some traits are special and other traits are not like eye color or skin color. Getting rid of an adaption to a dangerous infection is more complicated than that. And I would think the spreading of that mutation as malaria will spread further as the Earth warms may be called for helping people survive in infested areas, not in its removal.
Cameron1988 Premium Member over 5 years ago
I actually carry the sickle cell disease from my dad’s side, but I don’t have the symptoms